Ohio River Scenic Byway (IL-1)

Illinois Route 1 serves as the primary corridor of the 188-mile Ohio River Scenic Byway, one of 14 original National Scenic Byways designated in 1996. The southern section runs from the Cave-in-Rock free ferry on the Ohio River north through Hardin and Pope counties, winding through the Shawnee National Forest with limestone bluffs, dense hardwood canopy, and river views. Cave-in-Rock State Park — named for the 55-foot cave carved into riverside limestone — sits directly on the route. The byway connects four county regions across the southern tip of Illinois before turning northwest toward Harrisburg.